Saturday, 5 April 2014

Bigombe in CAR as Kony hunt rages

Mbarara-Ntungamo-Kabale highway seen from Ntungamo Town. The road has
proved to be a death trap for many road users despite being in good
condition.

Kampala. Uganda’s Minister of State for Water Betty Bigombe
and Acholi Paramount Chief David Onen Achana II flew to Obbo in the
Central African Republic (CAR) on Tuesday and apologised to the
population for the atrocities the LRA rebels committed against the local
population.

“We regret Kony’s action in the neighbouring
countries and we call for cooperation in ending these atrocities,” Rwot
Achana II said, adding: “There is no difference on what he was doing in
northern Uganda and what he is doing to you here; we are hoping that he
comes to his senses and he stops it with immediate effect.”

In a related development, a top US military
commander on Thursday tasked a purported LRA peace emissary to provide a
recent photo of Joseph Kony or persuade the warlord to telephone him as
proof that the self-declared envoy is not a masquerader.

A one Okello Mission, who identifies himself as
“LRA’s special peace envoy”, has been sending out emails to the African
Union, the United Nations, the US government and media houses announcing
the group’s intention to end the conflict peacefully.

Col Kevin Leahy, who commands the US Special
Operation troops carrying out the counter-LRA offensive in CAR, replied
in an email: “The United States will not entertain your proposal unless
you demonstrate proof that you are representing Kony. Your letters alone
are not sufficient.”On Tuesday, Ms Bigombe who initiated the first
peace talks with Kony in 1993, said the rebel leader does not listen to
counsel to “stop his ruthless activities”.

The Obbo meeting followed Kony’s reported request
for dialogue, days after the United States government deployed hundreds
of additional Special Forces and specialised aircraft to accelerate the
Washington-funded counter-LRA offensive to capture or eliminate the
indicted LRA commanders. Kony’s whereabouts remain unknown, but regional military officers say LRA is diminished.

The AU team is using both military engagement and
come-home messages broadcast on local radio stations and leaflets to
encourage defections among the rebels, he said.

About Kony’s lord resistance armyRebellion.
Kony began his rebellion in 1987, ostensibly to install a government run
on the Biblical 10 commandments, but his forces have built notoriety
for mass killings, rape and abductions in northern Uganda and the
neighbouring DR Congo.

Off to CAR. In 2009, the LRA fled to CAR,
following the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces offensive that smoked them
out of their new bases in eastern DR Congo. They have since committed
atrocities against civilians in CAR.